A lot of the clean energy movement’s early attention was focused on lithium-ion batteries because of the electric vehicle markets. However, lithium alone might not provide enough power to support a complete transition of heavier industries.
But all sectors need to convert to clean and sustainable energy sources if the world is to meet zero carbon goals. So, that’s why many heavy industries (like shipping and maritime) are searching for alternatives to lithium-ion batteries.
One of those potential alternative energy sources is ammonia, which could provide substantial industrial power and be vital in realizing a sustainable future. Experts at Chemical & Engineering News call it the fuel of the future and a perfect commodity for a hydrogen economy.
It emits no carbon dioxide when burned and can be made using renewable electricity, air, and water. However, the global ammonia industry is in its early stages at the moment. But thanks to ammonia’s extraordinary potential as a clean energy alternative, there’s a promise for massive growth.
Today, ammonia is mainly used in fertilizer. It’s a compound made of nitrogen and hydrogen (its chemical formula is NH3). It is produced naturally in nature (in water, soil, air, and tiny bacteria molecule) and in the human body. But as Chemical & Engineering News reported:
“Ammonia could come to the (climate change) rescue by capturing, storing, and shipping hydrogen for use in emission-free fuel cells and turbines. Efforts are also underway to combust ammonia directly in power plants and ship engines.”
The colorless fuel offers several critical advantages over other energy sources, including:
- It has around ten times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries
- Both internal combustion engines and fuel cells can use it
- It’s less explosive, more cost-effective, and easier to transport than many other fuels
- It has 1.8 times the energy density of hydrogen
- And it needs to be stored at -33 degrees Celsius – which is much less logistically complex than hydrogen’s -253 degrees Celsius storage requirement.
Global maritime shipping contributes nearly 3% of annual carbon dioxide emissions. It’s a multitrillion-dollar machine in need of cleaner fuels to power the tankers and freighters that haul bulk materials and manufactured goods across the ocean. Delegates agreed in 2018 to reduce the industry’s emissions by 50% from 2008 levels by 2050. Ammonia is expected to play a pivotal role.
More than 120 ports are already equipped with ammonia trading facilities. One consultancy report estimates that ammonia may make up a quarter of the maritime fuel mix by 2050, with almost every newly built ship running on the fuel from 2044 onward.
